The Friends Fest, held Saturday, May 26, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., is the annual fundraising festival for the Friends of Harrison Bay State Park. Money raised during this event will directly benefit Harrison Bay State Park.
It will be held at Harrison Bay State Park, 8411 Harrison Bay Road. From Highway 58 turn onto Harrison Bay Road, follow signs to the park entrance (approximately one mile).
The event will be held outdoors in the area near the playground, pool, and rec hall.
Activities will include games, relay races, crafts, face painting, water balloons, and other activities will be available for children. Some of the activities will be led by rangers from the park. Tickets will be 25 cents.
Entertainment will be provided at the Friends Front Porch, an outdoor entertainment area near the pool. Entertainment is free. Currently, several groups are scheduled to perform during the festival, including Sustaining Grace, Breanna Fuquay, Dave Pace, 2 Deep Within, Calvary’s Blend, Annette Kesley Hood, and Dana Russell.
A silent auction will be held. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Other activities:
The State Park pool opens May 26, and will be open from 11 a.m.-6:45 p.m. Admission to the pool is $4 per person (half price for people camping at the park), or a pass is available for $80 for 40 admissions. A lifeguard is present but children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information call 344-6214.
There is a playground located adjacent to the festival.
There are eight miles of hiking trails, including a 4.5 mile bike trail, on the State Park grounds.
The event is sponsored by the Friends of Harrison Bay State Park, a nonprofit organization. Their mission is to partner with the park to enhance the unique resources that Harrison Bay State Park represents, by preserving and protecting the scenic beauty of the park, educating visitors of the importance of environmental, wildlife, and cultural conservation, and to serve as a charitable conduit to enhance services and programs at the Park. Past projects include remodeling the A-Frame building, adding swings and benches to the park grounds, building a structure to be used for entertainment and outdoor movies (the Friends Front Porch), providing funding for programs such as the Jr. Ranger camp and seasonal ranger activities, and installing dog-bag stations throughout the park. This year we also will be contributing to the purchase of canoes and a canoe trailer to be used during ranger-led activities.
For more information visit www.friendsofharrisonbay.org or their Facebook page, call 238-2839, or email info@friendsofharrisonbay.org.